The non-permanent Mixed Commission for the study of climate change has approved a report with more than 100 proposals to deal with climate change. The document, the result of more than two years of work, has had the participation of dozens of experts and agents involved, also collecting all the initiatives and planning actions that are underway in Spain in the field of energy and climate change and the framework international.
And although it is a good report, the feeling when reading it is that is several years behind schedule. Some of the most noteworthy specific measures outlined in the document are:
Preparation of a Climate Change Law that, among other issues, establishes the obligation to prepare annual carbon budgets. Linked to this, the report also exposes the possibility of establishing reference targets (voluntary) for the reduction of emissions for the different autonomous communities.
- In the Basque Country A Climate Change Law is already being processed (somethingcurrently slowing down the process due to a supposed question of competence with the provincial councils) inspired by the Scottish precedent once unanimously approved; In the same way as the recommendations of the Mixed Commission report, the carbon budget tool is included in the legal text prepared by the Basque Government.
Establish a objective to reduce CO2 emissions in the energy sector by 100% in 2050 and up to 80%, domestically, based on emissions from 2005. In this sense, the The report recommends working actively at the community level for an extension of the EU’s unilateral commitment to reduce emissions to 30% by 2020 and up to 95% in 2050, assuming the equitable sharing of the burden among all Member States and sectors.
- A Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 (March 8, 2011) is the European Union document announcing the intention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 emissions According to the communication, the path that is most cost-effective is to reach a 25% reduction by 2020, 40% by 2030, and 60% by 2040. In addition, the European Commission has just presented the energy efficiency roadmap for 2050< /a>.
Review and establish taxation systems that make it possible to internalize environmental externalities in existing taxes on the consumption of fossil fuels, supporting the community initiative to amend the Directive on minimum energy taxes and establishing at community a system that taxes the consumption of energy and the consumption of fossil fuels compared to those that tax work. In particular, the introduction of a tax on CO2 emissions and its allocation to the Fund created in the Sustainable Economy Law is recommended.
- This has been one of the points on which the PP has shown the most disagreement. Being the only political group that has abstained from voting for the approval of the report, their representative has arguedthat they are not in favor of establishing more taxes.
Related Posts:
Energy Roadmap 2050 of the European Union and other zero carbon proposals
CONAMA 2010, participation process during the elaboration of the Basque Climate Change Law
Some conclusions from the Cancun Summit